1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to the field of teaching aids for stringed instruments.
2. Background Art
Many stringed instruments, including the violin, viola, cello and stringed bass, necessitate that the player use his/her fingers to stop the strings against the fingerboard, thereby producing different notes. Given the absence of frets on these instruments, one of the most difficult issues for the novice is to learn the correct placement of the fingers on the string, so that the notes thus played sound in tune. Traditionally, students learn by trial and error, slowly training the auditory and tactile senses in order to achieve the proper finger positions. However, this is a long and arduous process often leading to frustration for the beginning student, as well as the teacher. Many devices have been invented to speed the novice""s learning of the correct placement of the fingers.
The beginning student of stringed instruments faces two formidable challenges: the apprehension of basic musical material, and the acquisition of the instrumental technique necessary to play this material. The material of Western music comprises a set of twelve discrete musical tones known as the xe2x80x9cchromatic scale.xe2x80x9d These notes can be named according to various systems: Do, Re, Mi, etc., or A, B, C through G, with the indications xe2x80x9csharpxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cflat,xe2x80x9d as necessary. Proceeding in sequence either up or down the chromatic scale, the thirteenth note takes the same name as the first, and is said to be its xe2x80x9coctave.xe2x80x9d Continuing in the same direction repeats the cycle of twelve notes in another octave, with the range of audible frequencies being approximately eight octaves. However, in a composition, one note is usually selected to be the principal note, and the composition is said to be in the xe2x80x9ckeyxe2x80x9d of that note. To reinforce the principal note, various sets of notes called xe2x80x9cscalesxe2x80x9d are utilized. Of many possible scales, the most common is called the xe2x80x9cmajor scale,xe2x80x9d which is the set of seven of the twelve chromatic notes having specific relations to the principal note. This is most clearly seen at the piano keyboard, where the seven white keys in each octave together form the major scale starting on C, with the five black keys being extraneous to this scale. If a note other than C is selected as the principal note, a different set of seven notes is selected so as to always maintain the same distribution of tones relative to the principal note. One of the main tasks of a student of any instrument is to learn the specific notes necessary to play in a variety of different scales and keys.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,686, entitled xe2x80x9cIntonation Guide for Player of String Instrument,xe2x80x9d trains the player""s tactile sense by means of a signal element, a circuit therefor, and a series of pressure-activated tabs mounted on the fingerboard of the instrument. When the player places a finger, a tab closes a circuit which results in a signal to the player informing him or her as to the accuracy of the finger placement. This device necessitates extensive preparation of the fingerboard. The continual signaling proves to be a distraction to the player, and its complicated apparatus makes it both impractical and expensive for the novice.
Other devices teach the posture and use of the fingers without reference to specific locations along the string. These include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,470, to Harris, entitled xe2x80x9cHand-Positioning Device for Violinists;xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,314, to Columbo, entitled xe2x80x9cFinger Training Device for Stringed Musical Instruments;xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,175, to Kaplan, entitled xe2x80x9cApparatus for Instruction of Stringed Instrument Positioning;xe2x80x9d and U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,176, also to Kaplan, entitled xe2x80x9cApparatus for the Instruction of Hand Angulation in Playing Stringed Instruments.xe2x80x9d However, this approach is abstract, rather than concrete. The result of these inventions is that the player may indeed appear to have the proper technique while still playing badly out of tune.
Some patents disclose inventions aimed at reducing the possibility of error on the part of the player by restricting the notes which are possible to play. One such device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,460, to Kuhnke, entitled xe2x80x9cIntonation Aid for the Violin, Viola and Cello and Other Instruments of the Violin Family,xe2x80x9d is a molded plastic sleeve containing a series of stops (essentially frets) which fits between the fingerboard of the instrument and the strings. When the string is depressed behind a stop, the correct note results. Unfortunately, the string vibrates against the plastic, producing an unwanted buzzing. Since the stop is raised, the string tends to roll underneath the player""s finger, thereby undermining the very precision which the device aims to improve. Additionally, the player must place his/her finger behind the stop, thereby learning a placement of the fingers distinct from that of the instrument without this device. Similarly, the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,851, to Aalfs, entitled xe2x80x9cArticulated Fingerboard for a Stringed Musical Instrument,xe2x80x9d is a fingerboard with a plurality of raised areas which define the discrete locations where the player must place the fingers. With this device it is difficult to play out of tune, but due to the alternation of raised and lowered surfaces, it is also difficult to move the finger along the length of the string. The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,454, to Severn, entitled xe2x80x9cInstructional Apparatus for Stringed Instrument,xe2x80x9d features a keyboard placed over the strings of the instrument which operates a series of depressible plungers which stop the string. In this case, the fingers operate the device, rather than the musical instrument, and have no contact with the string itself. These three devices suffer from the generic defect that the technique thus cultivated is distinct from that which is used for the playing of the instruments in their common form.
Other devices provide visual clues to the player. U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,497, to Nicklaus, entitled xe2x80x9cStringed Musical Instrument Teaching Device and Process,xe2x80x9d describes a fingerboard bearing a metal rack into which are placed magnetized trapezoidal markers, each of which defines an area for the placement of the fingers and which bears the name of the note thus created. The fact that the markers define a relatively wide area of the fingerboard (1 cm or more) results in a great imprecision. Also, the necessity of variously applying and removing the markers makes it cumbersome. Having a similar feature and suffering similar defects is the device receiving U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,606, to LePage, entitled xe2x80x9cMusical String Instrument.xe2x80x9d This device features rectangular pieces of contrasting colors secured to the fretboard between each fret. The device revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,464, to Kregg, entitled xe2x80x9cStringed Instrument Finger Positioning Guide,xe2x80x9d is a rigid flat surface affixed beneath the strings of a fretted musical instrument and which bears colored spots to mark the finger positions for playing a variety of chords. The fact that this device is flat and bears slots to engage the nut and frets of the instrument makes it unsuitable for the curved and fretless fingerboards of the violin family. Similarly, the device receiving U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,040, to Glucker et al., entitled xe2x80x9cTeaching Device for Stringed Instruments,xe2x80x9d is a mock fretboard external to the instrument which bears template cards illustrating note positions and is used for practice.
Certain devices, including U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,370, to Sapinski, entitled xe2x80x9cTraining Aid for Stringed Musical Instrument;xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,495, to Roof, entitled xe2x80x9cMusical Instrument Training Device;xe2x80x9d and U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,509, to Graham, entitled xe2x80x9cElectroluminescent Fret Grid for Stringed Instrumentsxe2x80x9d are electrical devices which use luminescent displays to mark the notes on the fingerboard. These devices are expensive and complicated, and involve a radical reconfiguration of the instrument itself.
The devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,756, to Feldman, entitled xe2x80x9cGuitar Instruction System;xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,757, to Johnson et al., entitled xe2x80x9cInstructional Display Device Operated Responsive to the Playing of Stringed Musical Instruments,xe2x80x9d and U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,005, to Shaffer et al., entitled xe2x80x9cFingering Display for Musical Instrumentxe2x80x9d are various types of note displays external to the instrument. These devices demand that the player attend to a device external to the instrument, thereby preventing the complete and total concentration on the task of playing. The Feldman device includes indiciae comprising the note names which underly the strings of a guitar so as to inform the player as to which notes result when the finger is in a given location.
Other attempts to simplify the learning process include xe2x80x9cFingertips,xe2x80x9d Copyright 1986, and the extremely similar xe2x80x9cPerfekt Noten.xe2x80x9d Both devices are made of adhesive-backed paper, attach to the fingerboard of the instrument, and feature both note indicator lines and note letter names (A, F-sharp, etc.) printed in white on a black background. As both devices utilize the same scheme of lines plus note names, label the identical set of twenty-eight notes in the first octave (out of a possible forty-eight notes), and utilize very similar fonts, the only substantial difference between them is that xe2x80x9cFingertipsxe2x80x9d uses a combination of dashed, dotted and solid lines, whereas xe2x80x9cPerfekt Notenxe2x80x9d utilizes only solid lines. Both devices suffer from similar defects: paper is easily abraded, and the items fit only on the top surface of the fingerboard, thus making them prone to slippage. Also, measurements tend to indicate that from an acoustical point of view, these devices are simply not accurate as to the placement of notes. Most seriously, the presentation of a large quantity of information (lines and letters) in the stark contrast of black and white makes visual apprehension, discrimination and retention very problematic for the beginner, thus defeating the goal of simplifying the initial learning process.
Many teachers of the violin affix strips of 0.6 cm or wider tape to the fingerboard in order to give the student a visual cue for the location of the fingers. (This is frequently described in the professional literature, for example, William Starr, The Suzuki Violinist, Kingston Ellis Press, 1976, p. 65.) Problems with this method include the rather time-consuming process of applying numerous individual tapes and the difficulty of exact placement of the tapes. Even when well placed, such tapes are a very imprecise guide as to the location of the fingers, since they are extremely wide when compared to the necessary precision of finger placement.
Devices of a decorative nature have been patented for various stringed instruments, including the violin. U.S. Pat. No. D264,477, to Brent, entitled xe2x80x9cGuitar Fretboard or the Like;xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. D275,686, to Beasley, entitled xe2x80x9cDecal for Violin or the Like;xe2x80x9d and U.S. Pat. No. D370,939, to Schaeffler, entitled xe2x80x9cDecal for a Guitar Neck.xe2x80x9d Each of these is purely decorative in nature and none have a functional aspect.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art discussed above. It is computer-designed utilizing the laws of acoustics so as to guarantee accuracy of note location, identifies those locations with note position indicators, utilizes colors to visually discriminate between the note locations, and does not indicate note letter names for the user. It is more professional, produces much less visual clutter, and trains the user visually based upon color. The present invention is a note locator for stringed instruments having a flexible planar surface with color note position indicators that give the user easily identifiable visual references for positioning the fingers on the strings of the instrument rather than explicit note names or tangible mechanical stops or obstructions which train the user to rely on them as opposed to independently acquiring finger placement locations. The apparatus is preferably adhesively affixed to the fingerboard of the stringed instrument and has sufficient additional material for overhang to wrap around the fingerboard to stabilize the device on the curved fingerboard of the instrument. The present invention indicates precise locations for where the notes are to be played on the strings and provides this information in a manner easily ascertained by novices. The apparatus and its method of use cultivates the commonly used finger action and technique for stringed instruments. The present invention indicates to the user both the specific placement of the fingers, and, through the arrangement of colors, the musical structure of scales. In the preferred embodiment, the present invention is easily applied to the instrument, does not adversely affect the production of sound, and does not damage the instrument in any way.
The present invention is a note locator for stringed instruments and comprises a planar top surface having a contrasting background and at least one note position indicator of a color, other than or in addition to the color white, and a planar bottom surface. The note locator preferably has a plurality of note position indicators of various colors. There are no note names printed adjacent the color note position indicators upon the note locator. Preferably, the note position indicators have at least one diatonic scale note position indicator and at least one other half step note position indicator. The diatonic scale note position indicators are comprised of at least one color and the other half step indicators are of another color that is different from any of the colors of the diatonic scale note position indicators. Preferably, the diatonic scale note position indicators are of various colors wherein no two colors are alike, and the other half step note position indicators are white. In the preferred embodiment segmentation means are provided for dividing the note locator so that segments can be added or removed from the fingerboard if desired.
The note position indicators are between approximately 0.36 mm and 2.82 mm wide, preferably they are 0.71 mm wide. To cover the twelve notes of the equitempered scale, there are preferably twelve note position indicators upon the note locator; seven diatonic scale note position indicators and five other half step note position indicators.
The note position indicators are contrasted with a contrasting background that is preferably a transparent material. The planar bottom surface preferably has means for attaching the bottom surface to the stringed instrument fingerboard. Preferably, a reusable adhesive is used for attaching the note locator to the fingerboard securely but not permanently. A backing can be used to protect the adhesive prior to attaching the note locator to the fingerboard.
The planar top surface and planar bottom surface comprise an integrally planar trapezoidal apparatus having length greater than width so as to align along the fingerboard of a stringed instrument. The narrower end of the note locator has an approximate width of either 16.7 mm, 17.5 mm, 19.1 mm, 23.8 mm, 25.4 mm, 28.6 mm, 31.8 mm, 39.7 mm, 41.3 mm, 50.8 mm, or 54.0 mm. The wider end of the note locator has an approximate width of either 22.2 mm, 25.4 mm, 27.0 mm, 33.3 mm, 39.7 mm, 44.4 mm, 47.6 mm, 55.6 mm, 60.3 mm, 76.2 mm, 82.6 mm, or 85.7 mm. For the full-sized violin embodiment, the note locator has at least one note position indicator, each located at an approximate distance from the narrower end of the note locator, and these distances are calculated to be approximately 18.4 mm, 35.8 mm, 52.1 mm, 67.6 mm, 82.2 mm, 96.0 mm, 109.0 mm, 121.3 mm, 132.9 mm, 143.8 mm, 154.1 mm, and 163.9 mm.
The note locator also has fingerboard alignment indicators inset from the sides of the note locator upon the planar top surface. The fingerboard alignment indicators are preferably between approximately 0.71 mm and 4.24 mm wide. The fingerboard alignment indicators are also preferably inset from the sides of the note locator by varying distances depending on the stringed instrument for which the note locator is made. These inset distances include 3.2 mm, 4.8 mm, 6.4 mm, 7.9 mm, and 9.5 mm.
The note locator may be constructed with dimensions that will accommodate all varieties of stringed instruments, including violins, violas, viols, cellos, and basses. The note locator can also be made to accommodate guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, banjos, and lutes.
To calculate an accurate distance for placement locations of the note position indicators, a formula is presented. In this formula, L is the sounding string length for the stringed instrument, K is the twelfth root of two, and A`n is the distance from the nut of the stringed instrument to the respective note position indicator n. The placement distance for each note position indicator is calculated by An=L-(LlKn). In this formula, L can be the sounding string length for stringed instruments such as violins, violas, viols, cellos, and basses. Preferably, L is an approximate value equal to either 192.9 mm, 218.3 mm, 243.7 mm, 265.1 mm, 282.3 mm, 306.4 mm, 328 mm, 362.0 mm, 495.3 mm, 590.6 mm, 631.8 mm, 876.3 mm, 1,003.3 mm, or 1,066.8 mm. L can also take the value of the sounding string length for stringed instruments such as guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, banjos, and lutes. Most preferably, n assumes the integer values 1 through and including 12.
Alternatively, the positions for the note position indicators for various other stringed instruments can be calculated by scaling the note position indicator positions for the full-sized violin. Scaling factors may include 0.59, 0.67, 0.75, 0.81, 0.86, 0.94, 1.1, 1.5, 1.8, 1.9, 2.1, 2.7, 3.1, and 3.3.
The present invention is a note locator for stringed instruments preferably comprising a planar flexible surface having at least one note position indicator of color, a contrasting background to the at least one note position indicator of color, fingerboard alignment indicators, and means for attaching the planar flexible surface to a stringed instrument fingerboard. The at least one note position indicator of color preferably comprises at least one diatonic scale note position indicator of various colors wherein no two colors are alike, and at least one other half step note position indicator of a color different from any color of the at least one diatonic scale note position indicator.
The present invention is also a method of indicating note locations upon stringed instruments and comprises the steps of assigning at least one note position indicator with a color other than or in addition to the color white upon a planar surface, and contrasting the at least one note position indicator of color with a background. When assigning the at least one note position indicator with a color upon the planar surface, note names are omitted adjacent the at least one note position indicators. The step of assigning the at least one note position indicator with colors upon a planar surface comprises assigning at least one diatonic scale note position indicator and at least one other half step note position indicator with a color. This includes coloring the at least one diatonic scale note position indicators with distinct colors and coloring each of the at least one other half step note position indicators with a color that is different from those of the at least one diatonic scale note position indicator. Preferably, the diatonic scale note position indicators are colored with distinct colors wherein no two colors are alike, and the other half step note position indicators are colored white. In addition to assigning the at least one note position indicator with color upon a planar surface, twelve note position indicators of color are placed upon the planar surface. Preferably, seven diatonic scale note position indicators are placed on the surface, as well as five other half step note position indicators of a single color different from those of the seven diatonic scale note position indicators. Additionally, the method comprises the step of contrasting the note position indicators of color with a transparent background.
The method also comprises the step of aligning the planar surface having the at least one note position indicator of color along a stringed instrument fingerboard and attaching the planar surface to the stringed instrument fingerboard. Preferably, the attaching is accomplished with an adhesive, and most preferably it is attached securely but not permanently. The method also includes protecting the adhesive with a backing prior to attaching the note locator to the stringed instrument fingerboard. Additionally, the method includes the step of shaping the planar surface having the at least one note position indicator of color so that it is trapezoidal and has length greater than width for alignment along the fingerboard of a stringed instrument. The step of shaping the planar surface so that it is trapezoidal preferably comprises the steps of shaping the planar surface so that it has a narrower end and a wider end.
The method of indicating note locations upon stringed instruments further comprises the step of locating the note position indicators at distances from the narrower end of the note locator, calculated to include the distances 18.4 mm, 35.8 mm, 52.1 mm, 67.6 mm, 82.2 mm, 96.0 mm, 109.0 mm, 121.3 mm, 132.9 mm, 143.8 mm, 154.1 mm, and 163.9 mm. The method of indicating note locations upon stringed instruments further comprises the step of attaching the planar surface having the at least one note position indicator of color upon either a violin, viola, viol, cello, or bass. The method also includes the step of attaching the note locator upon stringed instruments such as guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, banjos and lutes.
The method of indicating note locations notes upon stringed instruments further comprises the steps of representing the at least one note position indicator of color by n where n is the integers 1, 2, 3, . . . , and locating the note position indicators upon the note locator according to the formula       A    n    ⁢  L  ⁢      xe2x80x83    ⁢      L          K      n      
where An is the distance from the nut of the stringed instrument, or narrow end of the note locator, K=2{fraction (1/12)}, and L equals the sounding string length, which is the total string length from the bridge to the nut, for the stringed instrument. The method also includes the step of assigning L the value of the sounding string length for stringed instruments such as violins, violas, viols, cellos, and basses. The method can also include the step of assigning L an approximate value from the list of values including 192.9 mm, 218.3 mm, 243.7 mm, 265.1 mm, 282.3 mm, 306.4 mm, 328 mm, 362.0 mm, 495.3 mm, 590.6 mm, 631.8 mm, 698.5 mm, 876.3 mm, 1,003.3 mm, and 1066.8 mm. The method can also include the step of assigning L the value of the sounding string length of stringed instruments such as guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, banjos and lutes. The step of representing the at least one note position indicator of color by n preferably comprises assigning n the integer values 1 through and including 12.
Another method of adapting the note locator note position indicator placement positions to various other stringed instruments can be accomplished by assigning L the sounding string length for the full-sized violin; scaling the locations of the note position indicators by an approximate scaling factor derived from the ratio of the instrument""s string length to that of the full-sized violin; and adapting the note locator for various other stringed instruments by locating the note position indicators upon the note locator at a distance from the nut of the stringed instrument calculated using the approximate scaling factor.
A method of indicating note locations upon stringed instruments comprises the steps of placing the at least one note position indicator of color upon a flexible planar surface, contrasting a background to the at least one note position indicator of color, aligning the flexible planar surface upon the fingerboard of a stringed instrument, and attaching the planar flexible surface to a stringed instrument fingerboard. The step of placing the at least one note position indicator upon the flexible planar surface preferably comprises placing at least one diatonic scale note position indicator of various colors wherein no two colors are alike, and at least one other half step note position indicator of a color different from any color of the at least one diatonic scale note position indicator upon a flexible planar surface.
The present invention is also a method of locating notes upon stringed instruments using color note position indicators and comprises the steps of assigning colors to at least one fret location upon a planar apparatus to produce note position indicators, aligning the planar apparatus along the fingerboard of a stringed instrument, attaching the planar apparatus between the nut and bridge of the fingerboard of the stringed instrument, and visually identifying note locations by the color of the note position indicators. The step of aligning the planar apparatus along the fingerboard of a stringed instrument preferably comprises aligning the planar apparatus along the fingerboard using fingerboard alignment indicators inset along the sides of the note locator as a guide. Visually identifying note locations by the color of the note position indicators preferably comprises visually identifying diatonic scale note locations by varying colors of the note position indicators, and visually identifying other half step note locations with note position indicators of a single color that is different from any of the colors of the diatonic scale note position indicators. The method of locating notes upon stringed instruments further comprises the step of placing the fingers upon the string in the location of the note position indicator after visually identifying the note location by the color of the note position indicator.
A primary object of the present invention is to precisely indicate to the player the location on the strings where the notes are to be played.
Another primary object of the invention is to provide a segmented note locator so that the user can select the number of note indicators desired for the instrument.
Another object of the present invention is to provide note location information in a manner that is easily ascertained by the novice.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide note location information in a form which cultivates the commonly used finger action and technique.
Still another object of the present invention is that color assignment visually indicates the most common musical structure, i.e., the major scale.
A primary advantage of the present invention is that it is easily applied to the instrument itself.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it does not adversely affect sound production.
Still another advantage of the present invention is that it does not damage the instrument.
Other objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.